Royal summer palace gardens (near Mae Sai)

What a surprise we got when we traversed yet another mountainous track and came upon these beautiful gardens! At the age of 80 and with her own finances, the king's late mother (Princess Mother) built a beautiful holiday retreat in the mountains. She had a love for embroidery and gardening, so she commissioned these incredible gardens using labour from the local hilltribes, thus encouraging them to participate in something other than the opium trade. She obviously was a socially conscious woman and has left an incredible legacy.

The gardens and palace are between Mae Salong and Mae Sai.